Immobilizing shoulder support



June 2, 1970 D. D. STEVENS IMMOBILIZING SHOULDER SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1968 FIGJ DANIEL D. STEVENS W.

ATTORNEYS June 2, 1970 D. D. STEVENS 3,515,131

IMMOBILIZING SHOULDER SUPPORT Filed Oct. 24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VEN'I 0R.

DANIEL Dv STEVENS B Y *P M*M AT TORNE YS United States Patent 3,515,131 IMMOBILIZING SHOULDER SUPPORT Daniel D. Stevens, 11 Hospital Road, Franklin, NJ. 07416 Filed Oct. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 770,282 Int. Cl. A61f /40, 13/10 US. Cl. 128-94 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elasticized, immobilizing shoulder support having means to secure the arm and forearm to a body strap thereby both immobilizing and supporting the arm and shoulder to aid in the rehabilitation of dislocation of the shoulder and fracture of the head of the humerus.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Certain trauma to the shoulder and arm require both immobilization of the arm particularly relative to the shoulder and support of the arm as for instance in the event of dislocation of the shoulder and fracture of the head of the humerus.

Existing devices comprise essentially unyielding, elongated bandages of broadcloth or the like which must be fashioned and carefully fitted and applied to the victim by experienced personnel. Such application is time consuming and diflicult and prevents removal and proper reapplication by inexperienced personnel such as the victims family. Obviously, if the victim is ambulatory, the support must be removed when retiring or washing and reapplied thereafter. Reapplication by the inexperienced frequently is improper and results in further trauma.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of the invention claimed herein to provide an immobilizing shoulder support which may be quickly and easily applied by inexperienced personnel invariably properly positioning and supporting the injured arm and shoulder.

Another object of this invention is to provide an immobilizing shoulder support which is adjustable to accommodate persons of relatively Widely varying physical proportions.

Another object of this invention is to provide an immobilizing shoulder support which is at least partially elasticized to provide relatively rigid support of the arm without unduly restricting breathing.

Still further it is an object of the present invention to provide an immobilizing shoulder support which may be employed inter-changeably for either the right or left arm.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION An immobilizing shoulder support comprising a relatively wide, elongated, elastically expandable chest band; engageable and disengageable cooperative means on opposite ends of the chest band; the length of the chest band being widely adjustable by said means; and arm band secured to the chest band intermediate the ends of the arm band; the longer axis of the arm band being generally parallel to the longer axis of the chest band; engageable and disengageable cooperative means on opposite ends of the arm band; the length of the arm band being widely adjustable by said means; a forearm band attached to the chest band intermediate the ends of the forearm 3,515,131 Patented June 2, 1970 PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION The objects and advantages aforesaid as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the immobilizing shoulder support, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the shoulder support showing the arm and forearm cuffs in an open position;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the support illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the support applied to the body showing the chest band secured around the rib cage high under the arm pits with the arm and forearm cuffs open;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the support applied to the body as illustrated in FIG. 3 with the arm cuff secured around the arm below the biceps;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the support applied to the body as illustrated in FIG. 4 with the forearm cuif secured around the forearm proximal to the wrists.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of an alternative form of an immobilizing shoulder support;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a second alternative form of immobilizing shoulder support.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the immobilizing shoulder support comprises a relatively wide, elongated, flexible chest band 11. The chest band 11 is preferably, elastically elongatable in the direction of its longer axis by use of a longitudinally elastic material or segments thereof. The chest band 11 is preferably nonelastic in a direction generally perpendicular to its longer axis.

The chest band 11 is provided with a pair of opposing, arcuate recesses 12 and 13 in its opposed, longitudinal edges 14 and 15 respectively intermediate its ends.

An arm band or cuff 16, is, preferably, rigidly engaged to the front 17 of the chest band 11 intermediate the opposed recesses 12 and 13. The arm cuff 16 comprises a gusset section 18 secured to the front 17 of the chest band 11 by means of stitching 19. Nevertheless, the cuff 16 can be attached to the chest band 11 in any manner convenient to secure it in at least a relatively rigid fashion. The arm cuff 16 has free ends 20 and 21 formed integrally with the gusset section 18 on opposite sides thereof. Each of the free ends 20 and 21 is tapered towards its end so that the width of each end 20 and 21 is substantially less than the width of the gusset 18. The taper of the free ends 20 and 21 conforms generally to the arc of the recesses 12 and 13.

The front of free end 20 of arm cuff 16 is provided with a segment of self-adhering means 22 which is engageable and disengageable with a cooperative, second segment of self-adhering means 23 on the rear of the opposite free end 21. The segments of self-adhering means 22 and 23 may conveniently be fabricated of a Well-known material which is provided with a large number of generally upstanding flexible hook members which interengage when the means are engaged With each other being substantially resistant to disengagement under shear stress but substantially less resistant to disengagement under tensile stress. This material is commonly known as Velcro. Nevertheless, any suitable self-adhering means is contemplated as being within the scope of the claims appended hereto including a plurality of mechanical fasteners which are positioned to provide for adjustment of the circumferential dimension of the cuff 16 thereby accommodating wide variations in the circumference of the arm to which it is engaged.

The longer or longitudinal axis of the cuff 16 is generally parallel to the longer or longitudinal axis of the chest band 11. Free ends 20 and 21 of the arm cuff 16 are flexible whereas the gusset 18 is substantially inflexible and rigidly secured to the chest band 11.

A forearm cuff 24 is secured to the chest band 11 between one end thereof and the arm cuff 16. The forearm cuff 24 is secured to the face 17 of chest band 11 substantially at the center of the forearm cuff 24 to define a pair of free ends 25 and 26. The longer or longitudinal axis of the forearm cuff 24 is generally perpendicular to the longer or longitudinal axis of the chest band 11.

The forearm cuff 24 can be rigidly attached to the chest band 11 either by means of snap fasteners or stitching 25. The forearm cuff 24 is attached to the chest band 11 at a level displaced to one side of its longitudinal axis. Opposite sides of the free ends 25 and 26 of the forearm cuff 24 are each provided with a longitudinally elongated segment of self-adhering means 27 and 28 which are engageable and disengageable with each other. The self-adhering means 27 and 28 are similar to self-adhering means 22 and 23 in both structure and function.

The front 17 of the chest band 11 at one end thereof is provided with a segment of self-adhering means 29 longitudinally elongated in a direction of the longer axis of the chest band 11. The rear of the chest band 11 is provided with a cooperative segment of self-adhering means 31 engageable and disengageable with means 29.

In operation, the chest band 11 is wrapped around the rib cage high up under the arms with the gusset 18 of the arm cuff 16 positioned generally under the affected arm as is illustrated in FIG. 3. The forearm cuff 24 lies on the front of the body generally between the arms at the vertical mid-line. The chest band 11 should be tightly engaged around the rib cage by means of the selfadhering segments 29 and 31 which provide adjustment for wide variations in chest circumference. In addition, although the chest band 11 is tightly secured around the rib cage, it will not unduly restrict breathing since it is elastically expandable longitudinally.

After securing the chest band 11 to the rib cage, the arm cuff 16 is secured to the arm below the biceps by wrapping its free ends 20 and 21 around the arm and engaging the self-adhering means 22 and 23 to each other. Of course, the self-adhering means 22 and 23 provide adjustment for wide variations in the circumference of the arm.

After securing the arm cuff 16 to the arm, the forearm cuff 24 is secured to the forearm proximal to the wrist by wrapping with its free ends 25 and 26 and by mutually engaging the self-adhering means 27 and 28. Here again, self-adhering means 27 and 28 provide adjustment for wide variations in wrist or forearm circumference.

The forearm cuff 24 can be attached to the chest band 11 by means of stitches 25 as aforesaid slightly below the middle longitudinal axis of the band 11. This positioning of the forearm cuff provides for the proper position of the forearm relative to the arm and shoulder.

The arcuate recesses 12 and 13 in the longitudinal edges of the chest band 11 insure against irritation of the arm pit and waist-hip area from the band 11.

In the event that it is desirable to provide a single support for immobilizing both the right and left arm, the

forearm cuff 24 need merely be positioned on opposite sides of the arm cuff 16. This may be accomplished by securing two forearm cuffs 24 to the chest band 11, one on each side of the arm cuff 16, or providing means for attachment of a single forearm cuff 24 on opposite sides of the arm cuff 16. Such detachable engagement of a single forearm cuff 24 may be accomplished by means of snap fasteners 32 illustrated in FIG. 6. The snap fasteners 32 would be permanently secured to the chest band 11 on opposite sides of the arm cuff 16 and on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis of the chest band 11. Cooperative fasteners 33 on the forearm cuff 24 provide means for detachable engagement to the chest band 11.

It should also be noted that the cuff 16 can also be secured to the chest band 11 in any suitable manner. For instance, if a degree of lateral adjustability of the arm cuff 16 is desired, a central section of the chest band 11 and the rear of the cuff 16 can be provided with segments of self-adhering means 34 and 35 as illustrated in FIG. 7.

I claim:

1. An immobilizing shoulder support comprising:

(a) a relatively wide, longitudinally elongated chest band having a longer axis,

(b) means for detachably securing opposite ends of th chest band to each other,

(c) an arm cuff secured to the chest hand against displacement therefrom intermediate the ends of the chest band,

(d) a pair of opposed free ends on the arm cuff, the longer axis of the chest band and arm cuff being generally parallel with the arm cuff free ends extending in the direction of said longer axis,

(e) means for detachably securing the free ends of the arm cuff to each other,

(f) a forearm cuff of a sufficient length to encircle a forearm attached to the chest band intermediate one end thereof and the arm cuff, said forearm cuff being attached directly to said chest band at a point along the length of said forearm cuff, whereby the forearm cuff is secured against displacement from the chest band,

(g) a pair of opposed free ends on the forearm cuff, the forearm cuff being generally perpendicular to the longer axis of the chest band so as to position said forearm cuff free ends generally perpendicular to said longer axis, and

(h) means for detachably securing the free ends of the forearm cuff to each other to snugly encircle and relatively rigidly secure the forearm to the chest band.

2. An immobilizing shoulder support comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1 and,

(b) means for detachably securing respectively the free ends of both the arm cuff and the forearm cuff to each other at a plurality of positions along their respective length.

3. An immobilizing shoulder support comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which,

(b) the arm cuff and forearm cuff are each relatively rigidly secured to the chest band intermediate their respective free ends.

4. An immobilizing shoulder support comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which,

(b) said means for attaching the forearm cuff to the 'chest band providing for detachable attachment at a plurality of positions along the direction of the longer axis of the chest band.

5. An immobilizing shoulder support comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1 and,

(b) a pair of opposed recesses in the longer edges of the chest band at the arm cuff.

6. An immobilizing shoulder support comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which,

5 (b) the chest band is longitudinally elastically elongatable. 7. An immobilizing shoulder support comprising: (a) the structure in accordance with claim 1 in which, (b) the forearm cuff is secured to the chest band to one side of the central longitudinal axis of the chest band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 114,615 5/1871 Smitley l2894 10 794,457 7/1905 Gaiter 12s -134 2,560,243 7/1951 Peterson 12894 3,400,710 9/1968 Goldstein 12878 6 OTHER REFERENCES I-Iirschtick Utility Shoulder Splint in Fracture Appliances catalog by DePuy Manufacturing Co., Inc., Warsaw, Ind, 1954, p. 9.

The Shoulder Immobilizer, Richards Manufacturing Co., Memphis, Tenn. (advertisement) received in Group 335 Aug. 2, 1968.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 128l65 

